Like the Warriors, Stephen Curry has been a little worse for some time. In January, the double MVP and triple NBA champion averaged “only” 19.6 with percentages far removed from his best level: 35% on shots, 30% on 3-points and 87% on free throws. For him, it’s already very good to be cited in the MVP debate because the competition is young and talented. Same thing for Kevin Durant.
“We try to put everything we’ve done into perspective – I’m in my 13th year, KD is in his 15th year – and we’re still ahead” he explains to The Athletic. “Our teams are still fighting for the title and they have a realistic chance of getting there. It is difficult to take a step back to understand the historical context of what is happening and to compare it with other eras. I get how amazing that is from a basketball history perspective, but also knowing (Durant) and knowing the guys who come up behind us and come to their zenith. We try to hold on as long as possible, and we want to keep pace and avoid slowing down.”
Already last year, Stephen Curry had impressed with his second half of the season, to the point of finishing 3rd in the votes for the MVP. In a training that was not aiming for the title and less strong, it was for him to prove that he had lost none of his talent after an almost white season in 2020.
“Klay is aware that he will become the player he was in due time…”
This season, the Warriors have returned to the top, and he finds himself at the head of a formation with a heterogeneous workforce, younger but talented. This is the other challenge of his season.
“It’s exciting because we’re trying to balance things between winning now and keeping ourselves in our best years, and being aware of what we’re doing with young people watching us, asking us questions and who discover what it is to be a pro. So you have to tell them and show them at the same time. But it’s difficult because we live in the moment and we become aware of their potential and the level they can reach. It keeps us young, but the hard part is there’s no consistency in their playing time.”
Last challenge for Stephen Curry, reassuring and encouraging Klay Thompson who returns after two and a half years without playing.
” I made it clear to him that there was no pressure. We got off to a good start this year to have that little mattress, that mid-year for him to get his legs back and realize what his body feels like playing at that level again. Two and a half years is a very long period between two matches. He can still shoot, he’s still competitive, and he understands basketball. It’s only been a few games. He is aware that he will once again become the player he was in due time… He knows that it is in April, May and June that everything is decided. I can’t wait to see this. “
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Stephen Curry | 39 | 34.5 | 42.1 | 38.4 | 91.4 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 26.3 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 39 | 31.3 | 48.8 | 42.2 | 69.7 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 18.5 |
| Jordan Poole | 37 | 29.5 | 43.8 | 34.2 | 90.5 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 17.2 |
| Klay Thompson | 4 | 20.7 | 35.7 | 35.7 | 100.0 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 13.8 |
| Damion Lee | 32 | 20.7 | 44.7 | 35.2 | 85.4 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 8.2 |
| Otto Porter | 37 | 21.3 | 46.4 | 39.9 | 70.8 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 8.2 |
| Draymond Green | 34 | 29.9 | 53.7 | 28.6 | 59.7 | 1.1 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 7.9 |
| Gary Payton II | 40 | 16.7 | 64.7 | 41.4 | 59.0 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 7.8 |
| Nemanja Bjelica | 43 | 15.2 | 43.7 | 34.8 | 69.2 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 6.4 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 31 | 11.2 | 48.6 | 28.3 | 61.5 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 6.4 |
| Kevon Looney | 43 | 20.0 | 53.7 | 0.0 | 61.8 | 2.6 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 6.0 |
| Juan Toscano Anderson | 41 | 16.0 | 50.0 | 28.6 | 60.0 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 4.9 |
| Andre Iguodala | 24 | 20.1 | 38.4 | 21.7 | 78.6 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 4.2 |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon | 3 | 5.3 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| Chris Chiozza | 22 | 11.0 | 28.6 | 36.1 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.1 |
| Moses Moody | 25 | 7.0 | 35.7 | 12.9 | 72.7 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 2.1 |
| Jeff Dowtin | 4 | 6.9 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
